University Hospitals First in Northeast Ohio to Use New Technology for Lung Cancer Diagnosis

CLEVELAND — A new innovation that holds promise to fight lung cancer is now in use at University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center. Approximately 80 percent of lung cancer cases are discovered at an advanced stage, leading to fewer options for treatment and more deaths. Auris Health’s Monarch™ Platform enables earlier and more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung by allowing a physician to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy. UH is among the first hospitals in the United States to utilize the platform, which was recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Getting a good, accurate biopsy and being able to make a precise diagnosis will lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, resulting in improved outcomes for patients,” said Benjamin Young, MD, Medical Director of Bronchoscopy at UH Cleveland Medical Center. “This technology is really exciting, and a giant step forward in bronchoscope design. Monarch will allow us to reach smaller peripheral lung nodules that are now generally not accessible with current techniques and technology.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in part because it has no symptoms in its early stages. There are a variety of diagnostic options currently available for lung cancer, but all have limitations in accuracy, safety, or invasiveness. These limitations can lead to false positives, false negatives, or side effects such as pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and serious bleeding, which may increase health care costs and extend hospital stays.

The Monarch Platform integrates the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science, and endoscopy (the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings). Physicians use the flexible robotic endoscope to navigate to the periphery of the lung with improved reach, vision, and control. Combining traditional endoscopic views into the lung with computer-assisted navigation based on 3-D models of the patient’s own lung anatomy, the Monarch Platform provides physicians with continuous bronchoscope vision throughout the entire procedure.

“Compared to the current technology, robotic bronchoscopy doubles — maybe even triples — our ability to successfully sample smaller lesions; those we might not even try for now,” said Dr. Young. “With robotic bronchoscopy, we can more accurately evaluate incidental findings, sparing patients from further imaging or additional procedures and relieving them of unnecessary doubt and anxiety.”

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About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 23 hospitals (including 5 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Oxford University and the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital, Ohio’s only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with a total research portfolio exceeding $265 million and more than 3,000 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.